Read this when
Big Little Lies
The couple everyone envies at school pickup is the one going home to bruises. Big Little Lies is about the lies we tell to keep things looking perfect.
Who it's for
Celeste's marriage to Perry looks enviable, and the reader sees how charm, apologies, money and her own love make it so hard to name what is happening.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Liane Moriarty's 2014 novel follows three mothers, Madeline, Celeste and Jane, who become friends when their children start kindergarten at a school in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Beneath school-gate rivalries, Celeste is being abused by her wealthy husband Perry, Jane is raising a son conceived through a past sexual assault, and Jane's son faces bullying accusations.
Where to find it
In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain in the US. Also the 2017 HBO series.
Before you start
Heads up: Domestic violence and rape.
Age: Ages 16+
Men's vows are women's traitors!William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, Act 3, Scene 4
